Life After CNA Training – Are You Settling on Your Career?

CNA Training is the first step for individuals who want to quickly begin a career in the medical field . Before deciding on CNA training, it’s important to understand why it is a popular choice, and what is actually offered.

What CNA Training Will Provide You With

Your CNA training will provide you with several specific benefits. These include the following:

Easy entrance into the medical field. Classes are generally 6 weeks to 6 months in length and provide a convenient way to switch from an otherwise dead end job into a more professional environment.

Inexpensive or free CNA training. Depending on your location, free CNA training can be obtained, either through a federal grant or even through a contracted program offered through a hospital or nursing home. A contracted program is basically an agreement that is based on the current needs in your community. If there is a shortage of qualified nursing assistants a hospital or other medical facility may agree to provide training in exchange for your agreement to work for them for a specified time period.

What CNA Training Will Not Provide You With

Although you may find information to the contrary online or on unscrupulous CNA training websites, earning your CNA certification, is not a step toward a career as a registered nurse, a medical doctor, or any other area of medicine or nursing. Once you have successfully completed your CNA training, you will be qualified for CNA employment only. If this is exactly what you are looking for, perfect. If not, your CNA training can provide employment in a medical facility, such as a hospital, where you can observe and acquaint yourself with other positions you may be interested in, but additional training will be necessary to move into another medical field.

Are You Settling After CNA Training?

CNA training is an intensive training program that provides you with an excellent foundational knowledge of health care in a very small period of time. Once you are certified as a CNA, you will have a variety of positions to choose from, such as working in private homes, employment in a hospital or nursing home, or even in specialized facilities, such as Hospice or cancer research centers, but these are all entry level jobs in the medical profession, and there is so much more out there. Think about the following statements. Are they true for you?:

I would be happy and satisfied in an entry level career because I enjoy working with patients one-on-one, caring for their basic needs.

I am able to work in stressful situations, with a variety of patient personalities, and find helping others rewarding.

I plan to explore my possibilities in medicine and am using this career, and my CNA training, as a stepping stone to familiarize myself with the options that are available.

Moving Beyond Your CNA Training

If you are happy with a long term career as a CNA, then CNA training is right for you. Even if you are aware that the position will only be temporary and you are using it to get into the medical field, you are still on track. For those who are looking for career advancement, additional responsibility, and a chance to earn top wages, CNA training may not be a perfect fit for you.

If you have already completed your CNA training and have discovered other opportunities you are interested in, it’s probably time for you to make some decisions about your career. Realistically, you can move beyond your basic CNA training into bigger, better and more lucrative careers. Do you qualify for a grant? If so, you can continue working as a CNA while earning your nursing degree. Maybe you’d like to explore radiology or a career as a surgical technician. You’re in the perfect place, especially if you are currently employed for a hospital. Ask others about their careers. Find out if they are satisfied with their positions. You can make a lot of decisions just by having conversations with others who are in the career you may be interested in.

Where Will You Go From Here?

Where you go from this point is ultimately up to you. You need to decide what direction you want to take your education, so that you know what career options are available to you. Do not let your CNA training lock you into a career for life or prevent you from moving up in the world. There are a multitude of other medical careers out there just waiting for you to explore them. Use your CNA training as a doorway into the medical field.